The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-04-15

THE following discourse was sent to
D. N. Lichlyter, BY hi. friend J. }. Gfant'
Of Tilford, Ills. and q his request We
publish IT,.
Coming Of the Lord.
The Scriptures plainly teach that the
day Of the Lord Is surely coming. The
Savior said; If go away, I will come
again." John IA: 8, and the angels bore
the Same testimony when they said !:
aye men OF Ga'ilee. why stand We gazing
up into Heaven? this SAME Jesus which
is taken up from you into Heaven shall
so come IN like manner as We have seen
Him go into Heaven" Acts d: IL. while
the Apostle Peter positively states But
the day Of the Lord will come.
In which the Heavens shall pass away
with great noise. and the elements shall
melt with fervent heat; the earth. also.
aud the works therein. shall be burned
up" Pet 3 (: ~. When that day comes
there will be people living upon the
earth Just Us they are now. ''For as the
days OF Noe were go shall also the COM
days that were before the food they
were eating and drinking, marrying and
giving in marriage, until the day that
Noe entered into the ark. and knew not
until the food came, aud took them al
away; 50 shall also the coming of the
Son or man be-" Mat. "a: 37-37. Ma
ture will give no unmistakable warning
Of the approaching catastrophe. "While
the earth remaineth seed time and har-
vest shall not cease" and to
these facts the last day scoffers spoken
of in Pet iii 8, 4, will appeal when
they tauntimgly ask: where IL the
promise Of His coming?' They see no
indications Of the soon coming end, and
like the antediluvians they reject the
word OF the Lord and so seal their own
eternal doom! But their nnbeIief can
not effect the purpose of God, nor pre-
vent the fulfillment Of His word. The
Majesty of Heaven has spoken through
His Son. who said, Heaven and earth
shall pass away. but my words shall NOT
pass away
In view Of the coming Of that day the
Savior has commanded his people to
watch. Mat "a: ~, and exhorts them
saying: And take heed to yourselves.
lest It any time your hearts be over
charged with surfeiting and drunkenness
and cares Of this life, and so that day
come upon you unswares." Luke 2l:
a. Are we needing that injunction, or
are wo Indifferent 10 these things? Ii
indifference be our condition W. are
surely upon dangerous ground, fnr the
APOSTLE speaking Of those upon whom
that day will come a. thief savs. "And
they shall not escape" Thess. s: 3.
But il may be asked. how may we
know when that day Is near? Does not
the Bible say. "of that day aud hour
knoweih no man 2" Yes, but il also
SAYS: "vow learn parable Of the fig
tree. When his branch is yet tender
and prttelh forth leaves, ye know that
sumner il nigh; so likewise We, when
ye shall see all things, KNOW THAT IT Isl
NEAR, even At the doors." Mat. "a: 50. 33
There il, as any one who will stop forl
/ moment and candidly think Ca readily
see, vast difference between knowing
The day and hour when an event IL to
and knowing simply when III
Is near. We may plant seed In the
earth. and under certain conditions wei
may know about when II may spring up \;
md vet II il impossible for US TO tell
v hen the sprout will first appear above
he ground Or q friend may be slowly
living of incurabIe disease. aud though,
We may know when death is near, wei
,annot tell the day and hour when itl
will come.
so Il il with the coming Of the day Of the
Lord. We NAV know yea, II is ourl
iutv 10 know. when II is near, but the
.xact time God has not revealed. F0t
,nly do the texts already quoted sustsiu
his vie ", but Il 10 the whole tenor OF the
scriptures. The Apostle Paul, in 1st
rhess.. 5, 4. makes II verv clear that
when the day Of the Lord comes there
will be class Of persons who will De
expecting IL. He says: "But ye, breth /
.en. are not in darkness that that day
.hould overtake yon rs . thief Some
nave supposed from this language. ~
,lso from verses Is aud III OF chapter 4,
hat Paul taught the Thessslonians 70
expect the coming Of the Lord In theirl
isv. This 10 4 mistake as ID evident from
he fret part Of chapter 2 OF his second
,pjstle: for there he tells them plainly
hat that day wae not then at hand, and
hat be fore Il came there would be q great
Tallin9 away from the true faith, aud
hat the man Of sin should be revealed
he son of perdition, which all Protest
snts agree refers TO the fapal power, the
full establishment Of which did not take
place iii A. ID. 53s. Hence We CONCLUDED
hat portions at least OF the Apostles
[lrst letter 10 the Thessaloneans were de-
signed more especially for those whoI
should live this side Of the great apos.
lacy, and 10 the generation that could
,cripturally look tor the coming OF the
Lord. But the fact that Paul assured
Ihe Thessalonians that certain eventsI
nust take place before the day Of the
Lord, proves that something can bel
known about that day. rhis fact vel
have already learned from other, script
nres aud he must be blind indeed who
can read The word Of God without dis
not only that the day Of the|
Lord will come, but that when Il does
come the people Of God will BE- watching
~ Al AZ Hxxu